Prime Ministers’ Meeting: Latvian Support to Speed up the New Nuclear Power Plant Project

2008.02.09

Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas informed Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia Ivars Godmanis about amendments to the Law on New Nuclear Power Plant adopted by the Seimas, and expressed his hope that four-state negotiations on the development of the new nuclear power plant could be started in the short run. Ivars Godmanis, who is on his official visit to Lithuania, reasserted that Latvia remained interested in the construction of the new plant and trusted that there would be no obstacles for the fast project development.

Kirkilas also announced that an agreement on the establishment of the company for the development of a power bridge between Lithuania and Poland was to be signed the following week in Poland, while a memorandum on the development of the power link between Lithuania and Sweden had already been signed this week in Sweden.

The Lithuanian Prime Minister voiced his concern over environmental threats that might arise from the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline via the Baltic Sea and reiterated that Lithuania was not planning to join the Nord Stream. In G. Kirkilas‘ opinion, the Baltic ministers of environment should arrange a meeting in the near future to discuss possibilities for environmental impact assessment.

During the meeting Lithuanian and Latvian Prime Ministers also touched on a number of transport and border infrastructure issues. The Lithuanian Prime Minister suggested expanding a common Baltic information space and providing funds to that purpose.

G.Kirkilas and I.Godmanis welcomed the results of the informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Vilnius. Both Prime Ministers agreed that Vilnius agreements made an important step towards preparations for the Bucharest Summit agenda.